What about bears?

[electron Don]

My wife was asking me about what size gun would I carry if hiking in bear country. Apparently, we are going hiking in the U.P. this summer and she is wondering about bears. This may be the wrong forum for this but I figure hunters usually are pretty good general outdoors people.

[BoBBerRider2009]

.357 mag will do at close range on our black bears....and a good shot..but id go with a .44mag.. .. our black bears no match for a .44mag...just to be sure ..the .44 will have enough power to shoot clean through that tuff breast plate...and shoulders...use some good soft point ammo...dont use the hollow points as it might ball up on the bone and lose to much energy..something with controlled expansion...for level 3 game. you want it to make as deep and big of a hole as possible...

[Toledo Kid]

.357 mag will do at close range on our black bears....and a good shot..but id go with a .44mag.. .. our black bears no match for a .44mag...just to be sure ..the .44 will have enough power to shoot clean through that tuff breast plate...and shoulders...use some good soft point ammo...dont use the hollow points as it might ball up on the bone and lose to much energy..something with controlled expansion...for level 3 game. you want it to make as deep and big of a hole as possible... I agree with this with the addition of the 10mm full power heavy loads. Glock M20 would be a good hiking gun since weight is a factoring issue trucking around. 4 inch barrel and up I would stay with unless your going with a 44mag or larger.

[CaptnKirk]

I agree with both replies. If you want to go one notch further, the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan chambered in .454 Casull would take care of business. It's weight and length is comparable to the G20 although the price is higher.

Captn---

[willforu1]

Will 45 ACP do the trick as well for black bears?

[Made_in_Michigan]

I'd go with the biggest one in my safe.

While a single, well-placed shot can take down a bear as easily as it takes down a squirrel with damn near any caliber... The odds of you making that shot in desperation or panic is very very low...

I would approach a bear attack just like any other two legged threat. You point, and click until the threat stops.

[garyjt]

I remember once when a she=bear and her 2 cubs were getting too close to me, so I fired a 22 handgun once in the air and they all took off pronto.


In case of actual attack, an average black bear is usually as easy to kill as an adult Michigan deer, so a 357 magnum should do it most of the time.

[soogyshoes]

It's cold hunting bare..lol. Sorry could'nt resist.

[garyjt]

I 'd go with the biggest one in my safe.

The odds of you making that shot in desperation or panic is very very low...



Well, if you are going to "miss", then it really does not matter what caliber you carry.

[jacksdaddy06]

I'd go with the .44 mag. I live in NW Michigan and we have alot of bear in this area, especially around my place where we have over 6 acres of blackberries and raspberries. I won't walk my property or the adjoining 1000+ acres of federal land without my 2.5" Taurus 44c in .44 magnum. I carry it with 240 grain JSP's when in the woods, and like Bobber said, avoid JHP's, you need penetration over expansion in a defensive encounter with a bear.
Honestly, unless you get between a sow and her cubs, your chance of needing to defend yourself from a bear attack is awfully slim, but like the old saying, "Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it".
Have fun on the hike!

[Teamster]

the biggest one I have and a good pair of running shoes. just in case. remember u don't have to be the fastest

[Will-IB-Ready]

I wish I still had my Glock 20 in 10mm. That was a powerful gun that you could carry easy. Best thing would be a nice big .44 mag...:thumbup:

[garyjt]

I'd go with the .44 mag. I live in NW Michigan and we have alot of bear in this area, especially around my place where we have over 6 acres of blackberries and raspberries. e!

If there is "a lot of bear in the area", then I would usually carry a 12 gauge with buckshot. That is what I used to do when I was in an area in Northern Arizona where there were a ton of bear, I mean lots and lots of bear, and also some mountain lion.

It is true that the odds of any black bear attacking are small, but if you are around 100 of them, all of a sudden the odds were divided by 100. I normally would not worry about a chance encounter, a 357 is enough, but if you are walking a heavily used and fresh bear trail that is 12 feet wide and looks as trampled as a cattle holding pen, a case where you acually "expect" to see bear, then I would go with the 12 guage

[DLL9MM]

Glock 20 loaded with 16rounds of Double Tap. With an extra 15-rd mag(just in case)

[Toledo Kid]

Glock 20 loaded with 16rounds of Double Tap. With an extra 15-rd mag(just in case)Yes Sir!!! :thumbup:
Light weight and Rocking...
When you're hiking its all about the weight. A BIG MAG or a Smooth Bore is ideal but not practical.

[Smokepole]

...I've got a S&W .460 XVR I can "rent" ya!:smile:

We get Bears around here as well.
...They haven't bothered anybody, yet.
But they sure make a mess of some of the bird feeders around here.

[BoBBerRider2009]

the nice ole semi in .50 beowolf will be a nice choice ...

[cantpickone]

After shooting a Russian Boar multiple times with a handgun I decided to give up any ideas of bear hunting. But if I was to shoot a bear I would want a rifle of considerable caliber. They have to be tougher than pigs.

[Buzzcat]

http://pic.bgstuff.net/data/media/68/bear-how-about-no-wj9.jpg\



Bears' noses and eyes are as sensitive as any dog's, maybe even more so. You can buy a riot-class anti-bear CS gas fogger that'll send all but the most rabid bear running in the other direction, even if you don't hit them directly.

http://www.safetygearhq.com/bearspray.htm


A gun is a must-have backup option and you should certainly carry the proper caliber if you're wandering around in bear country, (at least a .40 or .45 semiauto loaded with 10+ rounds of FMJ, IMO) but it shouldn't be considered to be a first line of defense.

Remember, you're in their house, not the other way around, yes? :wink:

[JGant]

Don,
You will be fine, as long as you can outrun your wife.

[garyjt]

Bears' noses and eyes are as sensitive as any dog's, maybe even more so. k:

I dont know about that. I had a bear stare at me downwind 50 feet away, and
he could not figure out what I was, he sat up and stared at me for 10 minutes
and didnt didnt know what he was looking at.

I had another bear running pretty fast thru the woods and just ran right by
me about 12 feet away without even knowing that I was there.

I dont think they see very well.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Willforu1,

A .45 ACP will definitely kill a bear at close range, and it is fairly effective if you make a close quarters head shot. I would not attempt a body shot on a large bear as penetration would be lacking. As a self-defense handgun in bear country (black bear) it is adequate.

I killed several bears with a .357 magnum taking either head or neck shots. Naturally, a .357 penetrates a whole lot better than the .45 ACP. I have seen bears hit with both a .44 magnum and a .357 mag head-on just above the eyes and the bullets glanced off the skull, but for sure stunned the critter. Both times the bears were treed and the skull was angled enough to cause the bullet to deflect.

[Buzzcat]

I dont know about that. I had a bear stare at me downwind 50 feet away, and
he could not figure out what I was, he sat up and stared at me for 10 minutes
and didnt didnt know what he was looking at.

I had another bear running pretty fast thru the woods and just ran right by
me about 12 feet away without even knowing that I was there.

I dont think they see very well.


You're right, I think I've read that their eyesight isn't too keen.

As far as anything else goes, I think the big issue is if the bear has had any prior human interaction. Black Bears usually run away when a human is nearby and making any type of noise. But garbage can raiders and campground scavengers might not exhibit the same normal fear.

And the biggest issue:

DON'T EVER, EVER GET BETWEEN A MOM AND HER CUBS. If you see or hear bear cubs, immediately turn around and slowly (but quickly) go back in the direction you came. Make some noise as well.

CS Spray and/or guns don't work too well against a motivated 25 mile-per-hour, 300 pound Momma Missile. :prayer: :lol:

[Joerockhead]

My wife was asking me about what size gun would I carry if hiking in bear country. Apparently, we are going hiking in the U.P. this summer and she is wondering about bears. This may be the wrong forum for this but I figure hunters usually are pretty good general outdoors people.


Sounds like your wife is giving you permission to buy some new toys !!!!!
I say get yourself a nice 44 mag (I like the triggers on the Smiths) but Rugers are great also. Then you should buy your wife a Glock G-20 10mm.
You dont want to leave her defenseless while your out collecting firewood .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah... Remember Uncle Buck ( John Candy) in the Great Out Doors... ???

[BoBBerRider2009]

i think a lampshade gun would be sweet....

[thatguy423]

i think a lampshade gun would be sweet....

Worked out pretty sweet for John Candy!

[garyjt]

1. And the biggest issue:
DON'T EVER, EVER GET BETWEEN A MOM AND HER CUBS. If you see or hear bear cubs, immediately turn around and slowly (but quickly) go back in the direction you came. Make some noise as well.

2. CS Spray and/or guns don't work too well against a motivated 25 mile-per-hour, 300 pound Momma Missile. :prayer: :lol:

1. Besides a mom with her cubs, another nasty bear that you do not want to be around, is a bear with a toothache. YOu never know.

2. If you are going to use spray, then dont use your wife's keychain spray, instead, use the heavy duty stuff in a big canaster that they sell in Alaska and Colorado specifically designed to use against bear.

[Joerockhead]

1. Besides a mom with her cubs, another nasty bear that you do not want to be around, is a bear with a toothache. YOu never know.

2. If you are going to use spray, then dont use your wife's keychain spray, instead, use the heavy duty stuff in a big canaster that they sell in Alaska and Colorado specifically designed to use against bear.


Do they even sell Bear Spray in Michigan ???
Isn't it illegal to use bear spray in Michigan ????

Sounds like a quick trip " across the river" might be in order

[donald150]

They sell bear spray (of some sort) at Gander Mountain

but that will just add a little spice to your rear end as he EATS YOU

[redhawk44]

I would recommend something on the order of a 44 Special with a 240 grain hard cast RNFP.

The 44 Mg is a very good choice, but in a reasonable carry gun it is hard to handle for most people, but it is possible to have too much gun if the shooter is not comfortable with it.


The 696 Smith 3" gun loaded to about 900 fps is controlable and will provide the penetration required.

Of course, most of the bigger handgun calibers can be loaded to the same level.